Get Away
by punkydiva17
Summary: *Story Completed* Reedited and separated from the Nine Lives saga due to mass confusion. This is story 2: Get Away. Kelly Kelly flees an abusive relationship and takes up hiding out in Puerto Rico. What happens when her husband tracks her down? R
1. Get Away

**Get Away**

At the age of twenty, Kelly Kelly was truly a sight to behold. Long blonde hair and huge brown eyes, she was considered by many to be the personification of beauty. And while her body was slender and her laugh infectious, behind her brown eyes screamed out a past life that was sinister, more dark and painful than any other woman could ever comprehend.

Kelly was just a small town girl from Tyler, Texas, who seemed to be destined for better things. She was the head cheerleader at her high school, and went to church every Sunday with her mama and papa, and even managed to maintain a solid 4.0 GPA while she worked part time at a grocery store. She was clean-cut to the adults, and a wild exhibitionist to the others. Of course, her reputation of being a wild exhibitionist was where all her troubles began.

She had met him at a local billiard bar. He went under the name Test, and he was a regular at the bar. On this night he was located at the back of the bar, where he had been having a game against the local mayor, Paul Heyman. Both me had been putting big money on the line, and the big crowd that had gathered around had caught Kelly's eye and she approached, pushing her way through the crowd until she made her way to the front and caught his eye. After some mild flirting, he bought her a drink. One thing led to another, they were in bed together, another thing led to the rest and she was soon his wife.

The fairy tale ended there, however. Test had a penchant to imbibe in alcohol and women and it wasn't very long into their marriage where he would come home and destroy things, and abuse her. And it wasn't just the physical abuse. That was in there, too. In the short time of their marriage, she had managed to make it so that she had learned every secret there was out there to conceal bruises. She'd had managed to hide it all; everything from bruised arms, eyes, legs, back, stomach. She didn't mind the ones that could be concealed by clothes. It was the facial shots, which would prompt her to not leave the house until the bruising around her cheekbone or eye sockets tamed down to an ugly yellow. To her, she felt an immeasurable amount of shame to go out and fulfill any social obligations with everybody's eyes on her. It was too much.

But the emotional abuse was much worse. She was constantly accused of cheating on him, even if she caught the eye of another person in passing. In Test's paranoia heightened mind, she didn't need to know the guy to cheat on him. It didn't matter; she didn't even need to make eye contact with the guy for Test to declare her cheating, and that's when the derogatory names would come out. And that hurt her more than any slap ever could.

She had remembered the nights she would curl up in the fetal position and softly cry herself to sleep, to make sure that Test didn't hear it as he slept beside her, dead drunk and tired out from all the yelling, cursing and throwing. On the nights he was home, anyway. Word around town was that he had taken a special liking to a young woman named Rebecca DiPietro, who had just moved to town from the big city of Hollywood, California, where her acting career had deadpanned. And now Test wanted to see what was under her clothing, and that left Kelly home alone, with her bruising face, crying softly, clutching her stomach from the pain all her crying had caused, her mind running with all the scenarios of Test and Rebecca together.

She always told herself she was going to leave. That one day she was just going to gather her things and take off before Test came home. Leave the ring on his pillow and tell him to shove it. It wasn't like she was a poor woman; her family was very prominent, and they were waiting for the day that she kicked Test to the curb. She was always ashamed to explain the beatings to her mother, and then she would plead for her mother not to say anything to her father for fear of her father going after Test. It was the one thing that made her stay; she loved him.

Tonight was different, though. He had come home in a drunken stupor again, not much to her surprise, but tonight the violence had been a lot rougher, and she had been a lot more razor-spined than usual. He had yelled and catcalled at her, and she had stood up to him for the first time in their six month marriage. That's when he had started beating her, and that's when things escalated. Now she lay on the bed, beaten, violated, and humiliated with herself for letting everything go on for as long as it did. The last fight several hours ago had provided her with a moment of clarity that had told her she would never again feel anything for him, and never again would she let him sleep beside her. She had enough.

Pulling the sheets back, she got out of the bed. She knew that there was little time. Grabbing a duffel bag from the closet, she began to throw some clothing into the bag. She threw everything she could possibly fit with value in her bag. Her parents had a summer house down in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and that's where she would go. They had a caretaker out there named Carlito, a sweet guy with hair that made him taller than he really was, and she was a hundred percent certain that he would take care of her if she went down there.

She pried her wedding ring off of her finger and left it on the pillow before slinging the bag over her shoulder. Moving swiftly, she left the house through the back exit, making sure that if Test were to come through the door or pull into the driveway, there would be no driveway scene and there would be no way for her to be prevented from leaving.

Closing the screen door out back, Kelly went down the steps and across the yard. Pulling open the big white gate, she slowly made her way through and closed it. From there, she knew that she would go to her friend Krissy's house, call a cab, call her parents and then go to the airport.

She was officially leaving Test.


	2. Burned Out

**Chapter Two**

**Burned Out**

As the plane lowered itself from the creampuff clouds, Kelly sat back and smiled. San Juan, Puerto Rico. She had been so terrified that Test was going to figure everything out and race to the airport, but she had found that her paranoia was unfounded as she boarded the plane. She had dressed casually in pink trackpants and a black halter top at Krissy's, not wasting time to get dressed at home, with the risk of Test coming home in a drunken stupor, smelling of whiskey and Rebecca DePietro's perfume. Her bleached blonde hair was back in a high ponytail and she wore a giant pair of black sunglasses to hide the bruise on her face that was located just under her orbital bone. It couldn't hide the cut on her lip, but she wasn't too worried about that. That could easily be explained. It was the bruising.

There was an elderly lady that was sitting beside her in the aisle seat, who was trying to get a glimpse under her sunglasses, but didn't have the heart to ask what caused the purplish bruise under Kelly's eye. The woman's prying eyes slightly annoyed Kelly; all the times she had been bruised and hurt, and the people just stared without offering assistance. Not that Kelly would have gone for it, in all likelihood. But at the same time, where was human decency when a woman was being abused and nobody even bothered stepping in to help? Hell, even her parents stayed off in the sideline, adopting that "you made your bed, now you have to lie in it" mentality, while playing sympathetic to her plight.

The plane landed at around five o'clock in the evening, and Kelly gathered her things together as the elderly woman made her way off the plane. Slinging her purse over her shoulder, Kelly began her slow exit from the plane. Her mother had called her at the airport to tell her that Carlito was going to be there waiting for her arrival. He was apparently enthused about having some company join him on the lonely, desolate grounds.

Carlito was pacing back and forth impatiently, waiting for Kelly to arrive. He had to admit, he overshot his timing and got to the airport about an hour early. After an awful tuna sandwich from the vending machine and coffee that tasted like motor oil, he was now pacing a trench in the main area, waiting for her arrival. His excitement was a little more than obvious by the way he glowed as he paced back and forth, but he didn't really care.

He had always been in love with Kelly, ever since they were kids. He had always inquired about her to her parents whenever they came to visit without her, which started more and more frequently when she was about fourteen.

It had been six years. He couldn't believe he hadn't seen her in six years, and he wondered if she had grown up into the beauty she always was. Her parents had alluded to her being in some sort of trouble when they had called him to say Kelly was flying out, which was why she would be under the watchful eye of Carlito in San Juan. And if it killed him, he would see to it nothing ever troubled her again.

He saw a peek of bleached blonde emerge from the plane and something told him it was her. She saw the afro from several feet away and he heard her excited voice squeal, "Carlito!" With that, she ran over to him and hugged him tightly. Her childhood companion, after all these years, had grown into a handsome man. She even had to admit that the afro worked for him. But it was huge.

"Kelly, great to see you again," he replied in his thick Caribbean accent. She smiled and sized him up. Six foot four. Without the afro he was five-ten, dressed down in a button-down light blue shirt and khakis.

"Great seeing you again, Carlito. You look incredible," she replied.

"So do you," he answered. She laughed.

"Now I know you're lying," she teased. He extended his arm to her and she took it, and they went towards the baggage check to go and gather her luggage.

The ride back to the house was surprisingly quiet, and a little bit awkward, with Kelly gazing longingly out the windows, lamenting at all the years she had missed out on the beauty that was San Juan. Test had forbidden her to come four months ago because of Carlito. He suspected there was something between them, and Kelly had to admit that he probably wasn't lying. The attraction between the two had been there since she was about fourteen, which was when she stopped coming to San Juan. She was a tad slight nervous; just how much did her parents tell Carlito about her life since she had last been out here?

"So," Carlito began, an attempt to make idle conversation, "you miss San Juan in your absence?"

"Yeah," she admitted without turning her gaze back to him. "It's so beautiful here."

"You should see the house," he informed her. "It's exactly how you remember it."

"You the head caretaker now?" she asked. He nodded.

"I have a older guy by the name of Savio Vega that comes in around once a week to take care of the lawn," Carlito confessed. "Taking care of the house in itself is a full-time job." She nodded. When Carlito's father had passed, her family had offered him housing in their place and the permanent title of caretaker. He was about twenty at the time, so she was about fifteen. She hadn't made it to the funeral, but she had sent her condolences with the family before they traveled out to attend the funeral. Carlito had always been grateful that her parents had given him the position of caretaker. Kelly could sense it, but Carlito was a proud man and probably never would have admitted it. Some things just didn't change.

They pulled up to the iron gates and he buzzed in the code that swung it open. They drove through slowly and she was breathless when she saw the place in such pristine condition. No wonder her parents had been singing the praises of Carlito so much. He was right; it was exactly how she remembered it. "You remember where your room is, right?" he inquired. She nodded. "It's just the way you left it."

"Oh, God," she replied.

"I was nice. I went in and removed the New Kids on the Block poster." A smile broke on Kelly's face and she chuckled.

"You're a lifesaver."

"That's what they tell me."

Through the gap between her glasses and her face he could see the purplish bruising under her eye and he wanted to ask, but he didn't know if by asking she would get defensive. Her parents had informed him as to the purpose behind her move to San Juan, and he was going to know the truth one way or another. If it killed him, he vowed he would know the truth and do his best to protect her in her new surroundings.

Up in her bedroom, Kelly was unpacking, the sunglasses still on her face. She was determined to wear them until the bruising went down to that ugly yellow. She was hanging up a blue minidress in the walk-in closet that she had missed wearing since she had married Test.

Carlito was right; her room was just the way it had been left, with white walls and white carpet with airy pink curtains and a pink canopied queen sized beds. Even the cherrywood dresser had been restained and looked as new as the day it had been bought. She continued to unpack.

"Your parents said you got married."

She jumped and turned around to see Carlito. "Carlito!" she breathed. "You scared the hell out of me."

"Wanted to make sure everything was okay," he replied. He crossed the room and sat down on the bed watching her put away her things. "So, your parents said you got married..."

"Don't remind me," she grimaced. She was determined to build a new life for herself, one that didn't involve Test. She was hoping that one day she would find a man who cared for her as much as Carlito did over the years. She cocked an eyebrow. "Still inquiring about me after all these years?"

"To be fair, you did stop coming here. I had to hear about you somehow."

She smiled and hung up a red dress. She sauntered over to him and sat down close beside him on the bed. She could feel his sudden discomfort. "I have to admit, after all these years, I've missed you," she replied, giving him a kiss on the cheek. He turned around and began to pull at her glasses. She put a hand to his to make him stop.

"Come on, Kelly. You're seriously not going to wear those twenty-four seven are you?" he inquired. Realizing she couldn't win, Kelly withdrew her hand and let him pull the glasses from her face. He had to admit, he was surprisingly caught off guard to see the severity of the purple bruise under her eye. The cut on her lip could be explained by anything, but this...this told him everything.

"Your husband do this to you?" She slunk back down to the bed and stared down at her hands, embarrassed. "Kelly, come on, be honest with me."

She took a deep breath. "He started doing this just after we were married. It was usually over...things."

"Things? What kind of things?"

"I'd see somebody I knew that was a man, and I'd be cheating, and he'd strike out. Or I wouldn't have everything ready by the time he got home..." she could feel the tears stinging behind her eyelids, threatening to break loose. "Eventually, I stopped leaving the house unless he told me I had to, and I started learning tricks."

"Tricks?"

"To cover up the bruises. The ones that can be covered by clothing were fine, but it was the facial stuff that was difficult. Foundation wears off and it doesn't really get the job done anyway." She shook her head and laughed to herself. "I can't believe that I'm sitting here, telling you about this bullshit."

"You need to talk to somebody, Kelly," he replied. She wiped her eyes. "Why didn't your parents do anything?"

"I wouldn't let them, and I don't think they were comfortable getting involved. Test is a big guy. When my mother found out about the abuse, she wanted to send my father after him, but I made her promise not to tell Daddy. I know at a point he wasn't buying the 'I fell out of the shower' excuse, but he couldn't prove anything. And I was so stupid, I probably would have backed Test if anything happened."

"Come here," Carlito replied wrapping an arm around her shoulder. They hugged. "If it's the last thing I do, he's not going to get his hands on you again."

They sat in her room for an eternity while she cried into his shoulder.


	3. Going Under

**Chapter Three**

**Going Under**

When Kelly had finished crying into Carlito's shoulder, he brushed the strand of bleached blonde hair out of her face. She looked so sad, and it broke his heart staring into those big brown eyes and seeing the pain this man had caused her. He was proud of her for leaving him; relationships like that were far from healthy. But his heart broke for her every time his eyes focused on the purple bruise that was forming under her eye.

"You get changed into some swimming gear, and I'll start dinner, okay?" he said. "Some time in the hot tub should make you feel better." Kelly nodded.

"Thanks, Carlito." He stood up and left the room, leaving Kelly alone in a place that had been so familiar to her when she was young, but now seemed so unknown. The fact that she didn't know it anymore made her feel so terrible, but at the same time, frightened her.

She went to the dresser. Some paint had chipped in the back, but it still looked pretty new. She went into the second drawer to the left, and opened the drawer. She couldn't figure out what bathing suit she wanted. She had only brought two, and even then, she had meant to grab her underwear. She hadn't thought of swimming when she packed, just to grab the first thing that she could get her hands on.

Staring at her reflection on the mirror above the dresser, she wished that she had married a man like Carlito. He was so sweet, and he cared for her so much. He had been that way about her since he was a little boy. If she ever skinned her knee or hurt herself, then he would be there for her to make sure that she was okay. She wondered what she was ever thinking getting with Test.

She picked out her black bikini. She was sure that some time in the hot tub would relax her. She had every intention on inviting Carlito in as well. After all, he worked really hard to keep the house in pristine order. And as far as she could tell, he succeeded in keeping it that way.

Going into the bathroom, she quickly changed into her bikini and wrapped a towel around herself before making her way down the front steps and out the back exit, into the backyard. Carlito was at the grill, dressed in purple shorts and a blue floral print button-down T-shirt that was unbuttoned.

Kelly approached the grill. "What are you making?"

"A few burgers. It's been so long since I've made these." She laughed as she dropped the towel and climbed into the hot tub.

"You should join me in here. It's great," she murmured as she rested her head against the tub. The hot water felt fantastic against her skin. She was incredibly self-conscious about the bruise however. She was still wearing her sunglasses.

Carlito chuckled and sat at the edge of the hot tub. "How about after dinner?"

"Can I hold you to that?"

"You know it."

The door slammed shut and Test called out, "Kelly!"

He had been with Rebecca. She was a fox. And she was showing him some interest. He had to admit, he really liked it. The only reasons he stayed with Kelly was for the money that her family freezed him out of, and the things she would do for him behind closed doors. Except, he knew that when it finally happened, Rebecca was going to be better.

"Kelly!"

The silence unnerved him. Usually she answered. And she never left the house. She was too self-conscious to show her face when he bruised her up. He knew it. After a while, he began to use it as a failsafe effort to keep her indors. He wanted to know what was going on. What the hell was this bitch trying to pull? He stormed towards the bedroom. "Kelly, answer me or I swear to God…"

He froze when he saw the empty room. Moving around the bed, his eyes focused on the ring that was left on the pillow. Instinct alone overtook him and he began rummaging through her things. With exception of a couple things, allof her stuff was gone.

That's when he got angry. Her, leave him? She was going to leave him when he said she was going to leave him, and it sure in the hell wasn't now. He wasn't finished with her by a longshot.

But where would she go? He racked his brain thinking of the places she would go. She had no friends that talked to her anymore, he saw to that. She never left the house, so there were no lovers she could run to, begging for solace.

Then it all became clear to him.

He knew exactly where she was.


	4. When Darkness Falls

**Chapter Four**

**When Darkness Falls**

Test had gone to his friend John Morrison and asked him for a loan. John, of course, was hesitant, considering Test had made quite a bad reputation for himself when it came to borrowing money. As well, John was somewhat bitter with Test for stealing his girlfriend Melina from him several years before, only to break up with her when Kelly Kelly had come along. John had to admit that it gave him some sense of pleasure to hear that Kelly had finally up and left him. He was proud of her and he didn't hesitate to tell Test that. She was a beautiful girl, and what she was doing with a man like him had always mystified him to no end. But, nonetheless he lent Test the money, after Test had threatened to turn him in for running a marijuana grow operation. He hated being blackmailed, but he knew Kelly wouldn't go back. He knew that wherever she was, Kelly was surrounded by people who could probably knock the self-righteous son of a bitch down a peg or two. John just wished he could have been there to see it.

With the money in hand, Test got a ride with John to the airport. He was going to San Juan, he had explained, to get her back. He loved her. John visibly rolled his eyes at that. John knew about the relationship he was trying to forge with Rebecca DiPetro. He just wanted Kelly back because she was rich and because it was a matter of principle that no woman was to dump him. He was glad she had left Test. He had met her in high school, and she was a fun girl to be around. Once she had married Test, she had quit seeing people, and whenever she was seen she was always wearing sunglasses or long sleeved clothing with long pants. She was always covered head-to-toe and it wasn't long before John deduced that Test was beating her up nightly. He couldn't imagine what married life was like for Kelly.

He just hoped whoever she was with would be able to stop him.

After dinner and the hot tub, Kelly went upstairs. She had forgotten just how much fun Carlito was and she was remembering how it felt to be a normal girl. But she was still afraid.

Test knew about the house in San Juan, and he knew about Carlito. It would only be a matter of time before he asked around and found the house. Of course, assuming he had the money to get out there.

There was a chill in her spine, something telling her that he had been home and knew she was gone. There was something insdie of her that told her he was on his way for her, and when he got a hold of her, her life was over as she knew it. She'd be lucky if she could walk out with just a black eye for this one. If he came down to San Juan and found her, he was going to kill her and she knew it. She got into her pajamas and crawled into bed. She couldn't sleep; she could only think about how much she had messed her life up with her partying and exhibitionism. She had associated herself with the wrong people and now this was where her life had gone. It made her feel depressed as she clutched the pillow tightly. It felt cool against the bruise on her eye.

She felt a strange sense of comfort showing Carlito the bruises. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. It felt so good to just cry for all of her mistakes. At least Carlito didn't judge her. He had just remained silent, stroking her hair as she cried, and she had never felt more accepted and comforted in her life.

Now she lay in bed and wondered the next step she would need to take to correct the mess she had made of her life. She knew the option of staying at the house with Carlito was definitely open; her parents would have no problem letting her stay there. She always suspected that they had hoped she would marry Carlito. She could only imagine their disappointment when she had married Test, especially so shortly after meeting him.

But at this moment she couldn't figure out what had possessed her to marry Test. It had to have been the sex, but even Kelly reasoned with herself that it wasn't that great, and when it did happen, it was few and far between because he was worn out from the other women.

She was happy to leave the feeling of humiliation behind. She was relieved that she would never again have to worry about leaving the house because of the bruising, or endure the whispers from her friends, her family, and the people in town. She had no intention of returning to Texas; she didn't even want to live in the same part of the world as Test, let alone the same town. She was sure her parents would understand, and she knew that this house was just as much hers as her parents.

Carlito cleaned off the grill before he went to bed. He had to admit he was happy to see Kelly come home. He had been missing her for years and he had to admit, having company around the house was great, since things had a tendency to get so lonely with nobody around. His father had passed a while ago, and he had nobody else who ever came to visit. When he had received the call that morning that she was on her way back after a disastrous marriage, he had been so excited that he put extra effort into her home to make it look presentable for her. He wanted everything to be perfect when she came back. They had been best friends in their childhood, and after having such a long absence from her, he longed to see her again. He had arrived at the airport too early, and he was left waiting for her, wondering if she would remember him. When she had emerged, he knew it was her, and the way her body reacted to him, he could tell that she remembered him.

When he laid down in bed that night, he made a silent promise to himself that nobody would ever hurt Kelly again. He'd see to it.

Test was on the plane. There was a beautiful young woman beside him, but after several pass attempts, she had been moved upon request. Stuck up bitch.

The plane would land in San Juan in several hours, and from there he would probably find a hotel to check into. Then he would plan his next moves before finding the house. He wanted to get familiar with the layout so there wasn't a chase with Kelly. He wanted to be in and out to grab her and if Carlito got in his way, then he'd have to deal with him accordingly. He always hated it when her parents would tell her she let Carlito slip away for him. He hated the comparisons to Carlito. Maybe he'd deal with Carlito just for the hell of it. He'd decide when he arrived in San Juan.

For now, his only issue was bringing Kelly home.

And as Kelly lay in bed, she could sense him coming.


	5. In The Arms of Sorrow

**Chapter Five**

**In The Arms of Sorrow**

Kelly's sleep was restless. She was awake at dawn, and laid in bed, watching the sun come up from the bedroom window. She cradled her pillow tighter against her. She knew Test was coming for her, but she didn't know how to warn Carlito. He'd just shake off her fears and tell her she was overreacting. She worried about what Test would do to both her and Carlito. Carlito was such a sweet man, and the idea that he would attempt to kill Carlito, and probably kill her left her trembling with fear.

She wished he'd leave her alone. Let her go about her life. But there was something deep inside of her that told her that she wouldn't get away from him unless one of them were in a bodybag. And she was quite certain that Test would be putting her in the bodybag.

The house was gated. But Kelly knew that if Test wanted to get into the house, he would, regardless of gates, laws, and security. But she knew that the only security the house had was the big black iron gates in front and now knowing that Test was on his way, she couldn't feel safe behind the iron bars.

She thought back to the first night she had met Test and she couldn't figure out why she had even felt a slight attraction to him in the first place. He had seemed charming, but it was deceit. He had changed almost instantaneously.

Kelly remembered the first night he had hit her. He had come home and found that she was sitting on the couch, watching TV, and had not turned on the dishwasher. He had hit her and had seemed sincere in his apologies, pacing around the living room as Kelly lay along the couch, holding her cheek, eyes wide in the horror of the situation. She should have walked out then. Oh, God, how she wished she could have walked out then. She knew by staying she was excusing his actions. Melina, Test's ex-girlfriend and the ex-girlfriend of John Morrison, had told her that she was stupid for staying. And Kelly had covered it up by saying that Test had apologized a hundred times over and vowed to make it up to her.

_Yeah, he made it up to me all right_, Kelly thought to herself angrily, _he made it up to me by banging everything in town. _She remembered the first time she had found out that Test had cheated. Ironically, he had first cheated on her with Melina. She had been angry, she had been outraged. But Test had just stood before her with that self-satisfied, self-righteous smirk on his face and taunted her with a scathing, "So I cheated. What are you going to do about it?"

Kelly had actually packed that night, she remembered. She was going to leave to join her parents at their home, but he had physically stopped her. He had beaten her so badly he had knocked her out and she had been unable to move, sit or leave the house for several weeks. And while she was laid up in bed, nursing her injuires, he had pursued Candice, Jillian, Beth, Trish – who had unceremoniously turned him down – and Brooke.

Kelly realized she couldn't sleep anymore. Pulling back the thin white covers, she decided to put on her white silk robe and go downstairs for a cup of coffee.

When Kelly made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen, she was surprised to find that Carlito was already awake, fixing coffee and breakfast for the two of them. "What time did you get up?" she inquired.

"Dawn," he answered. "As per normal." She sat down at the kitchen counter and he slid a cup of coffee her way, alongside some sugar and milk. "How did you sleep?"

She sighed. "Not very well," she admitted. He arched an eyebrow. Their gazes locked and she knew that she didn't need to provide him with an answer. He already knew.

He exhaled and leaned over the counter to face her. "Look, I know you're worried," he replied. "I know these gates can't do much, and if you're worried so much, I'm pretty sure he knows about this place and me.

"But I promise you, I will never, ever let anything happen to you. He wants to get to you, he'll have to go through me."

"That's what I'm afraid of," she muttered. Carlito smirked.

"Cheer up. Today I'm taking you to the beach." She smiled, but it faded. "Carlito...my eye."

"We'll just say you hit your face on the baggage check at the airport," he teased. She rolled her eyes and he chuckled. "Don't worry about your eye. People walk around with black eyes all the time. Just get a bikini and some sunglasses if it worries you that much and we'll go spend the day at the beach. I'll even pack a lunch."

The idea appealed to Kelly and she agreed, as he placed a plate of pancakes before her.

Meanwhile, Test got off the plane, his face burrowed in anger and frustration. His tailbone was sore from the plane and his long legs were cramped from the lack of leg room. He was in San Juan, and he wanted to find Kelly as soon as possible.

He needed to find the place. He was pretty sure that somebody had her address. He would just have to ask around. He was sure the people of San Juan would be kind enough to enlighten him to the whereabouts of Kelly's home.

But for now, he was here, and there was going to be hell to pay.


	6. Pure Shores

**Chapter Six**

**Pure Shores**

Test managed to find out where Kelly was staying with Carlito with no problem. Carlito was considered to be an outstanding member of the community and everybody knew where he lived. He was the friendly Caribbean man who assisted the neighborhood kids in their soccer games and managed to keep the Kelly's house from completely falling apart. He rented a black Jeep and drove out to the house. It was a nice house, huge, gated, and Test felt himself hating Kelly's family for never inviting him out. He hated her family. They had always tried to talk Kelly into leaving him. He wasn't stupid; he knew she ran to them all the time, crying that he had hit her, that he had beaten her. If she hadn't stepped out of line, he wouldn't have had to put the fear into her. He was fine with hitting a woman. When they got hysterical, when they didn't keep up their end of the bargain in the kitchen and in the bedroom, he felt a smack was necessary. Kelly was young; she still gripped to those idealistic fantasies that her parents had put into her head about Prince Charming. He was the best she was going to get and her running away was only going to make the punishment worse when he dragged her home.

He wanted to take a few rounds out of Carlito as well. He wasn't stupid about him, either. Kelly's parents always wished she had married Carlito and lived in the house with him. Had his kids. The thought alone made his blood hot. He would make sure Carlito lived to regret ever coming to Kelly's aid. And she'd regret ever running away from him. He'd see to that.

He scoped out the layout of the house. He knew that when he finally made his move in to get her, he wanted to get her out of the house undetected. He'd wait in her bedroom and make her write a note saying that she loved Test so much that she had to go back to him. That he was the love of her life and that she couldn't live without him. He knew she missed him. He had treated her better than any other boyfriend she had ever had. There was no way she was going to get away from him now. She'd be dead first.

The beach was beautiful. The sands were a white color that blended into the crisp, crystalline blues of the water that stretched out as far as the eye could see. The sky was a beautiful pastel blue, not a cloud pasted against its clear backdrop. People had already made their way there, their towels and picnic baskets laid out along the sand. Some were topless, others were not, as they settled in with their boyfriends, girlfriends and family, ready to enjoy a day of fun in the Caribbean sun.

Carlito and Kelly had arrived together at about eleven in the morning. Kelly was dressed in a white sundress that hid her black bikini. She wore a pair of massive sunglasses to hide the black eye that was fading slowly back to normal. Carlito was already in his swim trunks, his upper torso covered by an unbuttoned pastel blue T-shirt. They arrived hand-in-hand, laughing and smiling. A beach bag containing lunch and some beach towels was slung over Kelly's shoulder.

"I forgot how beautiful it is out here," Kelly replied as they settled on a spot in the sand. She dug into the bag and began to lay out the towels on the sand. "Look at the waters. You sure don't see them like that back home."

"I've never been to America," Carlito replied. "I have a brother named Eddie who lives in Florida, but I never have the time to go over there."

"You're not missing all that much over there," Kelly replied. "I couldn't imagine why anybody would want to leave here. It's so beautiful." She unzipped the back of her sundress and slid out of it. Carlito felt nervous to stare at her as she revealed her small black bikini that was trimmed in eyelets. She placed the dress in her bag and sat down next to Carlito on the towel.

She was beautiful. The night before, he had laid in bed, longing to go to her and hold her tightly. He knew that everything with Test had her completely terrified. There was no way that he could soothe her fears. He wondered about her life after she had last been there. The men she had been with, how they had treated her. How she could allow herself to be treated so roughly by these so-called men. It just wasn't right.

"What are you thinking, Carlito?" she asked after several minutes had passed. She dug into the bag for a water bottle and opened it up, taking a sip.

He thought of an excuse and smiled. "Nothing. Sometimes the water, the sand. It's just beautiful."

"I have to agree with you there," Kelly replied. She placed a hand on his. "You know, I really shouldn't be so worried about Test. I mean, I'm here, he's over there. And how would he get here? It's not like his friends have the means to give him the money to get here." She laid back on the towel and Carlito found himself examining her long, slender body. Feeling a blush crawl up his neck, his eyes quickly averted out to the waters. "I should just look into being happy and free. I think I'm home."\

"You're going to stay out here?" Carlito asked, careful not to bring his eyes to Kelly's.

"I think it would be for the best," she replied. "And I'll just go back home for family occasions or emergencies. Is that all right with you?"

He smiled and laid back beside her. "I think it sounds fantastic," he replied. "I would love you to stay."

Test scoped the enormous perimeter of the house. Lord only knows what Kelly was doing with Carlito. The car was gone, he knew they were out. He thought about breaking in, but the back door was open. He decided to scout out the house, get the layout. It was enormous. Her family still loved her, but this lifestyle that she had been accustomed to was going to be locked away from her as long as she was with Test. And the thought made him incredibly angry. He made his way up the stairs and found Carlito's room. A fit of rage came over him and he fought the urge to kick the door in. Right now, everybody had to think he was back in America. Nobody except for John could know that he was here. If Kelly were to find out, he had no doubt that she'd try to run again, and maybe she'd run away with Carlito, the family's darling cabana boy.

He looked into Kelly's room. It looked almost pristine. The bed had been made sloppily though. He smirked. Her newfound freedom allowed her to just let her housekeeping skills go. He noticed photographs on the dresser of her and Carlito when they were children. Even then she had been beautiful.

He ripped a piece of stationary off her notepad on the vanity table and took the pen from beside the pad. He quickly sketched himself out an entire layout of the house, outside and in. He was going to take the night to plan everything out, and in a night or two, he'd come take Kelly home.


	7. Too Close to Hate

**Chapter Seven**

**Too Close to Hate**

When Kelly and Carlito arrived back at the house early that evening, they instantly knew something was amiss. It was just an intuition the two of them had. Kelly stayed close to Carlito, her hand clutched onto his muscular arm for protection and in fear. She had the feeling Test would be coming for her; she didn't realize that it would have been so soon.

Carlito sensed her fear. But everything looked fine. He knew the best thing to do though, would be to humor Kelly. "Are you sure he could get here so fast?" he asked. Kelly shrugged.

"I don't know. I don't know who would have the money to help him get here," she confessed. She took a deep breath. "Carlito, I know this sounds stupid, but there's something telling me that he's here."

The two of them entered the house slowly. The doors were locked. Carlito knew he had left the door unlocked as a result of the home being in a gated community, but he didn't voice his suspicions to Kelly. She was panicked enough. He unlocked the door and entered the house. Kelly kept a hand on him, making him aware of her presence behind him. She was scared and he couldn't say that he blamed her. They made their way up the stairs.

The bedrooms were empty. Carlito and Kelly checked every possible hiding place. The closets, under the bed. There was no sign of him. Kelly noticed a locket her mother gave her when she had married Test was gone from its usual place on the nightstand. "Carlito, the locket's gone."

"What?" He made his way over beside her. He stared at the nightstand. "Are you sure you didn't just throw it in the bathroom or something?"

"Carlito, I hung it on the mirror here. My mother gave me that locket when I married him. And now it's gone. Carlito, he was here. I can feel it."

They checked the other rooms and when they were satisfied that nobody was in the house, Carlito went to make dinner while Kelly went to get ready. She sat in her bedroom, feeling this odd chill up her spine. It was just a chill that told her that Test was there, in Puerto Rico, looking for her. Even worse, with her locket disappearing, she knew that it was only a matter of time before he made it back into the house.

She wasn't stupid. She knew that Carlito always left the doors unlocked. He had driven for a half hour to the airport and back, and had still left the doors unlocked because of the black iron gates. She looked at her window. It was open. There was a rose trellis down the side of the house taking them down to the backyard, where a poolhouse was stationed a few feet away. Kelly quickly stood to her feet and closed the window, locking it quickly. There was something about the entire atmosphere that made her uneasy. She went downstairs to Carlito, who was making a Greek salad for dinner. He looked up at her and noticed she was terrified.

"Take it easy, Kelly. There's no way that he's here."

"You don't know that," she fired back. "For all we know, he could have climbed out of my bedroom window and could be hiding out in the poolhouse."

"Kelly – how would he get past the gate? Scale it? That gate is ten feet high and he's not Spiderman!" She shook her head in disagreement.

"When Test wants something, he'll get it. Regardless." She shook her head. "Carlito, I know you think I'm crazy, but you don't know him like I do. And he's had hours while we've been gone. He could have done anything in that time." She shook her head. "Trust me on this. I can feel it. He's here, and the two of us are going to need to be careful."

He stared at her oddly. "Okay, Kelly," he told her. "Just take a deep breath. Look – if the guy is here, there's no way he's going to get to you without going through me first. And I can hold my own. Just breathe easy, okay? You're in good hands here."

She sat down in a chair in front of the counter and watched hm continue to chop vegetables. He stared over at her and stared into her eyes. He flashed her a smile and her sullen, somber face slowly pulled back into a soft smile. He wanted to kiss her. He remembered when she was a little girl, and how they would play together at the beach, and in the backyard of the house as their parents watched on. Then she had gone back to America and had lived her own life, away from him. In that time, she had grown into a beautiful woman and had gone through things that he would never know or comprehend. He wanted to ask; he wanted to know, to help her, to hold her and comfort her, but he didn't want to rush her. Especially now that she was so worried about her husband tracking her here. He knew that something had happened at the house while they were at the beach. But he didn't want to frighten her anymore.

He grabbed the Greek salad dressing from the refrigerator and saturated the vegetables in the dressing, mixing it. He went to the refrigerator and grabbed some cold cuts and other sandwich making items, placing them down on the counter. Kelly slid the bag over to her and asked him for a butter knife. They were silent as they went about having dinner, neither of them wanting to even broach the subject that Test had followed her there.


	8. Fighting Temptation

**Chapter Eight:**

**Fighting Temptation**

That night, Kelly couldn't sleep. She got out of bed and slid a robe on over her white nightgown and made sure a second time that her window was locked. She wrapped the robe shut around her body and made her way out into the hallway. Carlito's room was down the hallway and she wanted to check up on him. She was terrified of what Test could possibly do to Carlito if he made his way back into the house.

Carlito was laid on top of the blankets, watching a movie on the television set across from him, unsure how he was going to go about things in the situation. There was a soft knock at the door. "Yeah, Kelly?"

She opened the door. He looked so cute laying on the bed in a pair of blue drawstring pajama pants and a white wifebeater, his afro as wild as ever. She smiled. "I can't sleep. Is it all right if I stay in here with you? Everything's just making me so paranoid."

Carlito took a deep inward breath, but nodded. She closed the door behind her and he moved towards the far side of the bed to let her on. She slid under the blanket and curled up against him. "You really think he's here, Kel?" She nodded.

"I don't have a doubt in my brain," she answered. "I can sense it. You know – like a sixth sense sort of thing. Something tells me he's here."

"Would you please explain to me how you managed to marry such an asshole?" he asked. Kelly thought about it for a second and she exhaled.

"I was young, I was stupid, and I was looking for someone to love me," she replied. "I know it sounds stupid, Carlito, maybe even cliched...I don't expect you to think I'm a virgin, Carlito. I've been around." He inwardly groaned. Why did she have to say that? He remained silent and stroked her hair, hoping to ignore the feelings that were overtaking him. "It was just one thing happened after another and we wound up together and then we wound up married. And it was so far from that dream marriage I had in mind that I can't even tell you why I didn't leave sooner. I guess I wanted it to work out. But after a while, great sex can only do so much." He inwardly groaned again, then fought the urge to chuckle. How hard up was he if he was just acting up at the mention of it? But there he was, with a beautiful blonde in his bed, and he wanted her badly. But he didn't want to take advantage of her. But he was so tempted to lean his head down and press her lips to his. To comfort her, to love her instead of using her as a sex toy like all the other men in her life had. He didn't want her to know a moment's pain again, and he would do anything to see to it. He shook his head, trying to get the thoughts of intimacy out of his mind.

"So what made you decide to leave him finally?" he asked.

"I realized there was no love there. After the last beating, he left...probably to that bitch slut thing named Rebecca and I just knew that I couldn't be there when he got back. I packed my things, left my wedding ring on his pillow and I took out through the backyard. From there I went to a friend's house and got my mom to take care of the flight arrangements. They never liked him. They were happy I was finally leaving."

"Did they know what you was happening?"

"My mom did. I think Daddy did too, but I begged Mom not to tell him. But I think he knew. There's only so many times someone can believe that you fell down the stairs. I fell down the stairs once a week the entire time I was married." She laughed at herself, at the thought. He smirked.

"My parents always hoped I would marry you," Kelly stated matter of factly, nestling her head on his chest a little more. He felt his heart skip a few beats.

"What?"

"They never said anything about it, but I could tell. They always loved you. I guess they figured I'd fall in love, you'd be my knight in shining armor and we'd live here forever and ever, happily ever after." She stared up at him with her big brown eyes. "Blind justice, huh?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the two of us, here, stuck together. They always wanted this, and now it's happening. It's kind of strange, huh?"

Carlito was silent for a few minutes. "Just get some sleep, Kelly. It's been a long day. Tomorrow we'll go do some grocery shopping and we'll hole up in here and wait for him to strike, if he's here." She nodded and rested her head against him. She didn't realize how exhausted she was. She was out like a light within a half hour, and Carlito continued to watch the movie, trying to take his mind off the situation with Test that was about to rear its ugly head to epic proportions.


	9. Fear

**Chapter Nine**

**Fear**

Carlito left Kelly sleeping at dawn. He didn't have the heart to wake her up; she looked almost angelic and peaceful in her sleep, something he knew she hadn't seen in a long time. Peace, serenity. He owed her that much since he couldn't save her from her soon-to-be ex-husband.

On his way to the market, he thought about what she had told him about Test following her out there. What the hell kind of name was Test anyway? The guy deserved to have his hands chopped off for even hitting Kelly. He thought Test needed a lobotomy for even thinking of hitting Kelly for anything. She was the sweetest young girl he had ever seen. And she had sure done some growing up since the last time he had seen her.

They had been inseparable as children, playing together from dawn to dusk during the summers when they would come on vacation. Tag, freeze tag, hide and seek. He remembered those days of innocence; they had passed so long ago for both of them. He had dated, but nothing ever really came out of the relationships. I guess, he thought subconsciously as he made his way through the doors of the grocery store, I always knew nobody would ever stack up to Kelly.

He wasn't sure of this Test guy. It could get ugly if he came looking for Kelly. He'd fight for her though. Test would drag Kelly back to America kicking and screaming over his dead body. He'd fight for her until the end.

"Carlito! Good morning!" the shopkeeper called out. Carlito offered him a wave and went to the produce section for fruits. He was thinking about a fruit salad for breakfast.

He had the feeling he was being watched, but he shrugged it off as he looked for melons and berries. He spotted a tall blond man several feet away from him, looking at apples. Carlito caught a weird vibe coming from the man. He kept his eyes downcasted at what he was looking for as the man approached. Carlito thought the man was going to speak, but he started looking at melons. There was something about this man that bugged Carlito. He wondered if it could be Test, but he shrugged off the feeling as paranoia. But he could feel the man's eyes burning into him. He gathered what he needed and left.

Test stared after Carlito and smirked. That's what she was hiding behind? It was going to be nothing taking her back to America. He smirked; Carlito vaguely reminded him of a Chia pet.

Carlito pulled the car into the gates and was surprised to see some police officers parked around the house. He quickly stopped the car and ran into the house. "Kelly! Kelly!" he shouted.

She was in the kitchen with a few of the police officers. She looked visibly shaken. "Carlito, hey," one of the officers said. He was a well-respected man in the community and everyone knew him. Kelly rushed over to him and hugged him. "He is here, Carlito,​" she replied.

Carlito looked at the officers. "Somebody want to explain to me what happened here?"

"We received a call from Miss Kelly. We came and found that somebody had thrown a brick through your bedroom window." He held up a bag containing a brick. There was a piece of paper tied over it that stated – in capital letters - "WHORE". Kelly eyed the brick, clutching Carlito tighter.

"Any suspects?"

"None that were found on the grounds, but Kelly's pretty insistent it's her husband," he replied. "We put out an APB on him with his description and if he is found here, then we'll pick him up."

"What does he look like?" Carlito inquired.

"According to Miss Kelly," one of the men replied, pulling out his notepad. "The man is approximately 6'7", with short blonde hair and brown eyes. He also has some blonde facial hair." Carlito jolted with a start.

"What is it?" Kelly asked.

"I saw him at the market this morning. I'm pretty sure of it," Carlito replied. "You might want to take this picture to the shopkeeper. There's a good chance that he'll come back here if it's the case, and if that's how it goes, then we'll need some police protection, too. I'll set up the guest room."

They nodded and filed out of the house. Kelly hugged him tightly. "Carlito, I'm scared."

"Everything will be fine. If Test wants you so bad, he'll have to come through me."

Kelly nestled her head into his shoulder. "That's what I'm afraid of."


	10. Fixation on the Darkness

**Chapter Ten**

**Fixation on the Darkness**

Kelly and Carlito spent the day boarding up the broken window in his bedroom. He couldn't imagine what it must have been like for Kelly to wake up to that, with Carlito nowhere in sight. She must have been so frightened. He spent the better part of the day feeling like he had let her down.

There were officers patrolling the perimeter of the house, but they weren't turning up anything. It only put Kelly on edge more. She spent the day close behind Carlito, terrified out of her mind that he was finally coming to get her. Carlito didn't have much to say to her; the truth was that he wasn't sure if there was anything that he could say to make her feel better. He wondered if his silence at least provided her with any comfort. But he knew that Test was a big man. He was in for a mountain of a fight to keep Kelly with him.

The police had gone to the grocery store, but nobody had seen him after he had left. They said he had left shortly after Carlito and everyone had filed back to the house in a frenzy. Kelly by that time had changed into a pair of blue jeans and a white button-down blouse. Even in her fear, she looked beautiful, as she paced back and forth around the house, a hand to her forehead, eyes downcasted to the floor. The bruising around her eye was fading back to normal. The officer's had asked her about it, and for the first time in a lot of years, she had finally answered honestly that he had laid his hands on her. The officers had nodded sympathetically and told her they'd do their best to catch him. She wanted him deported, far away from her.

She thought about Carlito all day. How close Test had been to him. He could have swiped out at Carlito in the market, outside, anywhere, and yet he hadn't. Kelly knew that Test was way bigger than Carlito and the prospect of him hurting Carlito in any way made her physically nauseous.

She needed a drink. But she knew now was not the time to get loaded. She needed to keep her senses sharp in the event that anything happened to her. If something were to happen to Carlito, if something were to happen to the police that had invaded the house, she knew that it was going to be up to her to fight him off.

She took a large knife from the kitchen. Keeping it hidden as well as she could, she went upstairs and took it into her bedroom, sliding it inside her pillowcase, underneath the pillow. She hoped she would never have to use it, but she knew there was a good chance that things were going to get pretty desperate with Test. She knew she had her life to protect and she had Carlito's in the event that anything were to happen to him. Test would have to go through her first.

Test leaned back on the tree branch. He had been up there for hours, narrowly managing to miss being sighted by the police. Around dusk they began to leave, but he knew there were still one or two police officers that would stay on the property waiting for him. He had stopped by the hardware store on the way back and had gotten himself some duct tape and some rope. This was going to be a long night for everyone involved. He had the layout of the house; he was ready to strike as soon as he saw the final lights go out in the house. He had bought some bobby pins at the local dollar store, banking on the idea that Carlito and Kelly would lock all their doors. There was no way he was going to get through Carlito's window, and he knew it. But he had rattled their cages. He had showed them that he was something to be taken seriously.

He took a deep breath. He was exhausted. The time change and the sweet summer breeze that blew through the cobalt air made him tired. It felt like it had been an eternity since he had slept. But this was part of his master plan, and he knew that he couldn't waste his time thinking about sleep. Normally, during the night hours, he'd be awake, off doing whatever with whomever; however, tonight, with the time change, he was maxed out. He was looking to strike like a soldier. Tonight, he was going to kick ass, take names, and take Kelly back to America with him. And when they got back, he silently promised himself, it would be a miracle if she could sit for a week. Nobody runs out on him. Ever. That's just the way that it went down.

He was prepared for everything tonight. He was prepared for Kelly to go peacefully, but he knew that wouldn't happen. Not while she was in the arms of her cabana boy. He had seen the two of them sleeping together the night before. He had never felt such blind rage in his life. She was married to him; the idea of her sleeping beside Carlito was a travesty. He'd make her remember why she married him...after her punishment was over. He was prepared to hurt Carlito in order to bring her back to the United States with him.

Worse comes to worse, he was even ready to kill.


	11. Dangerous

**Chapter Eleven**

**Dangerous**

Kelly's sleep was restless again. Tonight, she was sleeping in her own bedroom, staring up at the darkened ceiling, her breathing slow and even. Her life was a mess. She had hoped to start over living here with Carlito, but this entire situation with Test left her feeling weary about her future. The truth was, she was madly in love with Carlito. Perhaps she always had been. She felt horrible dragging him into this situation. He deserved better.

She knew she wasn't going to sleep well tonight. Something told her that it would be a very long night. She was prepared for that. She knew the knife was underneath her pillow in the event of an emergency. She was ready for anything to happen, and she warned Carlito to do the same. She had married a violent sociopath. She had spent so many years fearing him, only to realize with Carlito that he was a pathetic man. A despicable man. Carlito would take care of her. She knew it. He would never let her down. Not in a million years. She trusted him with her life, and she would have done anything for him. With him, she felt happy. Something she had forgotten about.

There was a police officer downstairs in the main area, waiting for Test to make a move. Kelly wondered what would happen if Test made his way in here. She was certain he had been inside. So that meant he knew the layout of the house. It made him all the more dangerous. He knew what Carlito looked like, and he was violent. The bruising that was beginning to fade around her eye told her that. She knew exactly what he could be capable of.

Sleep was going to be fitful. When she could get it. She thought about her childhood, where she spent her summers in this room. Playing dolls with Carlito. She smiled. It was unbelievable to see how much he had grown over the years. She knew that he was into her. She was pretty certain Stevie Wonder could have seen it. All the years apart had only made him love her more.

Carlito lay in his room, staring at the boarded window. He wondered if he should be leaving Kelly to sleep in her room by herself. He knew now that Kelly wasn't crazy. That Test really was in the area. He had seen him himself at the grocery store that morning. He wondered what she saw in him. He assumed the last time Test had gotten whistled at was right before a train hit him. Carlito knew he wasn't the most attractive man in the world, but he knew how to treat a woman like Kelly, and that was an edge he had over Test on any given day of the week.

In the market, he had stared at Carlito with such disdain. He wondered how long he'd been following Kelly and Carlito for. He felt stupid for not believing Kelly. But it seemed unfeasable that he would be able to gather the money for travel. Kelly had told him that her family had cut him off of her money supply; they knew what kind of man he was, and they weren't about to let Kelly become broke and divorced because she was broke. The marriage had been impulsive; no prenuptial agreement had been signed. But since it was her parent's money, there was no way Test was entitled to any of it.

He knew Kelly's parents for a lot of years. They came to visit every summer. They would talk to him about Kelly. After she had gotten married, he could sense a change in demeanor with them. But they were always great to him and they were great to his father. They had even flown out when his father had passed away to show some solidarity and support for Carlito. He always remembered that and it was why he had such loyalty to Kelly and her family. Kelly hadn't been allowed to go, and she had sent her condolences. She had snuck a phone call, but she had sounded so afraid. He understood now. Kelly was such a petite little girl, and Test was such a big man. She wondered what attracted her to him. The thought of Test disgusted him.

He rolled over, staring at the closet. He was so paranoid. He was antsy. The officer had told him to get some sleep, however, he knew that he was in for a long night, and sleeping was going to be next to impossible. He knew sleep was going to be impossible. Something told him that Test was going to strike tonight. And if that happened, he was in for the fight of his life.

Anything to save Kelly.

Test let himself in the back door. The officer was seated in the kitchen, drinking a cup of coffee in an effort to stay awake. Test recognized him from patrolling the perimeter. He was a young officer named Colin Delaney.

Test crept up behind him with his rope wide open. Before Colin could turn around, he brought the rope around his neck and squeezed it tight. Colin tried to scream, but a grasp of air came out as he struggled, kicking at the floor as Test pulled tighter on the rope. The struggle lasted for minutes, until Colin finally slumped over, lifeless. Test removed the rope and Colin slumped to the floor. He smirked. Upstairs was Kelly and Carlito.

He'd deal with Carlito first.


	12. The Final Showdown

**_Just the epilogue after this, and then the story is over!:D Thanks for the kind reviews!_**

**Chapter Twelve**

**The Final Showdown**

Carlito rolled over to see a gun in his face. Test was standing behind the barrel with a sadistic smirk on his face. The room was encased with a thick silence. He thought about screaming to Kelly, to warn her that he was here, but if he got shot in the face, he would never be able to help her.

"Where the fuck is she?" Test snarled.

"Why?"

The barrel came down on Carlito's face and he felt his nose explode with blood. He held his face, but kept his cry of pain as silent as he could. He wondered what happened to the officer, and he assumed that Test had stolen the gun if the officer had been injured or incapacitated. Test grabbed a rope and motioned for Carlito to sit up against the bedpost. Carlito obeyed when he cocked the hammer back and he tied the rope tightly around his neck, keeping him there. He knotted it like crazy. Taking some duct tape, he gagged Carlito and tied him at the wrists and the ankles. "Let's see you save your precious princess now, fucker," he snarled. For good measure, he hit Carlito across the face again. Carlito felt as though his cheekbone had been shattered. With a smirk, he thought about shooting Carlito. But he had all the time in the world. He thought about making Kelly watch. Anyway, he didn't want to alert her to his presence just yet. She'd have time to hide.

He left Carlito's room and made his way down the hallway towards her bedroom. He wondered what slow, methodical torture he'd put her through for running out on him tonight. He'd make her remember this night for a lot of years. He'd remind her that it's for better or worse until death do they part. Carlito was going to part. Her family was going to find themselves without a groundskeeper for a while. But he digressed; Carlito could replace. Just another man.

He quietly opened Kelly's door, and then swung it open. "What the fuck?"

Her bed was empty, made as though it hadn't even been slept in. He looked at the window, which was open. He stormed across the room and stared down at the window. He knew that passage; he had used it in his first visit to the house. "Fuck!" he shouted. But he stopped for a moment. Where would she have the time to sneak out the window? Colin had been silent, and Carlito to his credit had remained pretty quiet. Had Carlito shouted, or screamed, Carlito would have been shot. The entire plan would have been fucked, and he would have had to dispose of Carlito a lot sooner than he wanted to.

He looked under the bed, but she wasn't there. He laughed. Like she would hide under there. Her childhood days of hiding under the bed had long since passed. He looked over at her closet and stormed over there. He swung it open and she screamed.

"Get over here," he raged, grabbing her by the hair, she struggled and he punched her in the stomach. She doubled over and he threw her to the bed. He straddled her, smiling.

"Thought you could get away from me, you little bitch!" He swung again, hitting her hard across the face. Her head rocked to the side and she groaned in pain. He moved his head down and kissed her. She kept her mouth closed, but he forced his tongue between her lips. She thought about biting his tongue, but she needed him as distracted as possible. His hands began to fumble around with her as her hand moved to her pillow. Her stomach lurched at the feel of his lips touched to hers. She wondered what happened to the police officer and what happened to Carlito. She had called nine-one-one before she had hidden in the closet. She was sure that one police officer wasn't going to do anything. She also knew that Test was impulsive, impatient. He had been the one who suggested that they got married.

His lips moved and bit her neck. She cried out in pain. He whispered in her ear, "You love that." He bit her again, enough to break the skin as her hand made her way into the pillow case. She felt the familiar handle of the steel blade and she slowly pulled it out.

He pulled back, beginning to unbuckle his pants. Thinking quickly, she brought her foot up and kicked him as hard as she could in his groin. He doubled over and she brought her foot up, kicking him in the face. He stumbled backwards. Her neck was screaming in pain as she gripped the knife and produced it from the pillowcase.

She held it up forward. He froze as she began to back away. His face contorted into a snarl as she made her way out the bedroom door. "Bitch!" he shouted. A small trail of blood made its way down to his lips from his nose. Her face was contorted into a snarl. It had felt good kicking him repeatedly. "What are you going to do, Kelly? You going to fucking stab me?"

"You're going to get out of here, and you're going to remember that I'm not your wife anymore, you son of a bitch," she replied, keeping her voice calm. The fear crept into her voice though. His face contorted into a snarl.

"Bitch!"

"Let's be realistic, Andrew," she replied. She only used his real name when she meant business. "How long did you think I was going to put up with you beating me? How long was I going to put up with you fucking everything that moved. Why are you even here? Wasn't Rebecca keeping you satisfied?"

"Kelly...if I have to fucking drag you kicking and screaming, you're coming home with me."

"Over my dead body, asshole."

"Have it your way," he snarled and he lunged at her. She was standing outside of the door, back against the balcony. He lunged at her with full momentum and she dove out of the way as he went over the balcony. He gripped the banister, his feet hanging down.

He felt a wave of fear crash over him. But he was livid. "Kelly! Help me the fuck up!" Instead, she took her foot and kicked hard at his hands. "Kelly, I fucking mean it!" He began to move up the banister, and she ran into her bedroom quickly, looking for something heavy. Where the hell was the police?

She found a glass vase on her nightstand. She dumped the flowers and water out the window and ran back to Test. He was almost up, his feet resting on the banister. "Fuck off!" she screamed and swung the vase. It shattered against his head. While he was dazed, she kicked him in the stomach as best she could through the banister and he lost his grip and fell down to the floor. She heard his head crack on the wood and saw his leg twist. She knew it was broken instantly.

Her face hurt. Her neck hurt. She crumped down to the banister, staring through the banister at his unconscious body. She wondered if he was dead. The blood was pooling around his head. Her breathing was ragged. Slowly, but surely, her hand slid across the floor to grab the knife. She brought herself to her feet and she made her way over to Carlito's bedroom. "Please don't be dead," she murmured. She opened the door to see Carlito struggling for breath. She smiled. "Thank God," she murmured, rushing over to his bedside. She grabbed the knife and cut the rope from around his neck. Though he was gagged, he offered her a modicum of gratitude. She pulled the gag from his mouth and kissed him. He stared at her in shock.

"Thank God you're all right," she said, working to cut his bonds.

"Where's the son of a bitch?"

"He went off the banister. I don't know if he's dead." She was shaking in terror. Her hair was dishevelled, her eyes were wild. "Where the fuck are the police?"

"You called them?"

She nodded. "I heard your cry of pain. I knew he was here." He saw the bite wound on her neck.

"Kelly...your neck."

"I'm fine. We'll take care of it when the police get here. The most important thing now is to make sure Test stays where he is until the police arrive." She could hear the sirens in the driveway. "Thank Christ," she snapped. "It's about fucking time." She was quaking violently. He hugged her close. She felt the tears beginning to flow behind her eyelids, but she fought the urge to cry for now. There'd be time for that later.

They heard a knock on the door and they went down the stairs slowly. Test still lay on the floor unconscious, blood pooled under his head. Carlito saw the broken glass on the floor, but he didn't ask. Kelly went into the kitchen and found Colin as Carlito answered the door. She was visibly shaken by the discovery, but she didn't scream. "Carlito...he got the police officer!" A few officers made their way into the kitchen.

"The ambulance is right behind us," the officer informed her. The lead officer, Captain Savio Vega, made his way into the room.

"Is he dead?"

Kelly shrugged. "I don't know. He came at me, he was going to kill me. I didn't check..." He nodded. Carlito stalked into the kitchen. She could see the rope abrasions around his neck. He made his way to her and hugged her tightly.

That's when she burst into tears.


	13. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

**One Year Later**

Carlito pulled the car into the driveway. Her parents were on their way down to Puerto Rico; her father had a huge media appearance to promote the new Apple laptops.

It had been a year since she had tangled with Test. She had filed for divorce from Puerto Rico and had given a letter to the courts stating why. The divorce had been granted, but it had been over a year since she had stepped foot in America. John Morrison had called her; he had been the man who had lent Test the money to come out. He didn't think in a million years it would become so violent. She had forgiven him, and she had even planned to have him come out to her wedding later in the year.

Test had been extradited back to the United States and after a lengthy trial where Kelly had given video depositions from Puerto Rico, he had been sentenced to almost a decade in prison, and had to do the full time. The judge had stripped him of the right to parole after the history of his abuse had come out. He was also given a restraining order against Kelly. He wasn't allowed within a thousand feet of her. He was disgusted Kelly had stayed with him for so long. The divorced had been easy, and granted. He had tried to go for her money, but the judge had seen through it.

She leaned back against the passenger's seat. She was happy again. She didn't think it would have been possible for her to be so happy, but Carlito had been the best thing that could ever happen to her. After all the years apart, she realized that absence really did make the heart grow fonder. Her parents were ecstatic that Carlito and Kelly had finally gotten together. They had never officially stated that they were boyfriend and girlfriend. But Carlito had proposed six months before and she had said yes. Now that the divorce was granted, she was looking forward to marrying Carlito and living the rest of her life overseas in a beautiful land.

Carlito put her hand on hers. Leaning over and kissing her, he said, "You look great considering." She laughed. She didn't want to move. She thought about her relationship with Carlito. A few weeks after Test, they both realized they were meant to be together. She knew it had to be fate. After all, after all the years apart, she came back to him. She had never been a believer in fate, or luck, but she knew that something special had happened here.

The divorce hadn't been painful, and she had realized what it felt like to feel love. She had been around a lot, but she realized that it wasn't love. Love was what she had with Carlito. He cared for her in ways that she never could have imagined. She realized leaving getting away to Puerto Rico was the best thing that she could have ever done for herself.

They got out of the car and locked it up. They went into the backseat and each of them gathered one of their new twins. Carlito grabbed his new daughter, Mirella, and Kelly grabbed her new son, Cristian. It had been a close call; they were a few weeks premature, and she was afraid she was going to lose them. But today, they were in their arms, ready to come home. Her parents would be down in a few days to meet their grandchildren for the first time. They were beautiful.

They had remodeled the house after everything had happened with Test. For a few weeks, she was horrified every time she left her bedroom, every time she looked at the balcony, she saw what had happened with Test. They had done extensive remodelling and turned Kelly's old bedroom into a nursery with two cribs. It had been months before they had discovered the twin; the heartbeat of the other child had been hidden.

She enjoyed her time pregnant, and she thought about having one more afterwards. Although the delivery had been incredibly painful, she had never felt more beautiful. Carlito made her feel beautiful.

They entered the house. They were now one of the most respected members of the community. When word of her pregnancy broke, the police department had thrown them a baby shower. They had worked extensively with Kelly and Carlito after everything with Test, and Savio had become a close friend of the family's. They didn't have to, but Kelly and Carlito went to the funeral of Colin, and were given forgiveness by his young widow. She understood the risk of working as a police officer, and she was glad that he had given his life to fighting for the greater good. His widow, a beautiful woman named Eve Torres, had since become a friend of the family's as well. Kelly was waiting until the kids got a little bit older, and then she planned to go back to school to become a teacher. She promised Eve when that happened that she could become a nanny to the kids. They had become tight-knit, and they were always at their house for dinner at least once a week. Savio would bring his wife, Carmelita, and they'd eat and drink and have fun. It was the best thing they could do for Kelly.

But Carlito knew she'd never forget what had happened. He did his best to make sure that she never had the time to think, because her thoughts would become dark. He could see it in the way her face clouded over and her eyes would darken. For a few weeks after the entire incident, Kelly hadn't slept. She barely ate. He had been so afraid. But he knew that she was a strong girl, and she'd know how to deal with it. She talked a lot more about her marriage to Carlito and he realized that she had become a fighter because of everything she had endured. She was beautiful. For weeks he felt as though he had let her down when Test had attacked her, but she hadn't thought of it that way. He had his life to think about too. She wouldn't have known what to do if Carlito had been killed.

Once inside the house, they carried the children into the nursery. They had a new life to lead, and Kelly couldn't think of a dark day that was ahead.


End file.
